Tag Archives: Ships

It’s going to be short and sweet today. I’m just tired of the media making a big deal every time a person (or persons) get sick on a cruise ship. Here are a couple of figures from the CDC:

The average number of people who get Norovirus (annually) in the United States is 19-21 MILLION.
The number of people (passengers AND crew) who got sick on cruise ships in 2013…2,315. Once again, 2, 315!

It’s awful, and you feel miserable when it happens…I get it. I understand that! But what about city subway systems? Libraries? Airplanes? Department stores? I could go on. And, it is going to be very difficult to convince me that any of these (and other) places are monitored for cleanliness greater than cruise ships! No matter where, we are having to rely on human beings to stay away from others when sick…and that seldom happens! OK, rant completed…almost…

Share this:

Like this:

New for some, a review for others, here is a list of terms that can help prepare you for your cruise. We hope this helps!

Aft – the back or near the back of the ship

Atrium – the central court (or center area) of a cruise ship, usually rising through more than one story of the ship’s interior

Berth – a built-in bed or bunk, as in a ship’s cabin or stateroom

Bow – the very front of the ship

Bridge – the navigational control center

Cabin or Stateroom Steward – a person whose work is to take care of the guests aboard a ship.

Captain – the person in command of a ship

Deck Plan – an overhead diagram of the cabins and the public rooms

Disembark – to unload (passengers or goods) from a ship

Dock – where your ship ‘parks’ when in port

Forward – faces the front of the boat

Gangway – allows you access on and off the ship

Knot – a nautical mile (see Nautical below)

Leeward – the side of the ship that is out of or away from the wind

Midship – the middle of the ship

Muster – to come together or assemble aboard ship for inspection or roll call

Muster Station – a specific location on ship to gather, based on stateroom assignment

Nautical – of or having to do with sailors, ships, or navigation. A unit of speed of one nautical mile (6,076.12 feet or 1,852 meters) an hour: abbrev. kn or kt [to average a speed of 10 knots]

Pier – a structure built out over the water and supported by pillars or piles: used as a landing place.

Port – the left-hand side of a ship as one faces forward: opposed to starboard. Port – so named because the side toward the port (dock), since the steering oar (see starboard) prevented docking to the right.

Port of Call – regular stopover(s) on a cruise itinerary.

Purser – a ship’s officer in charge of accounts, freight, tickets, etc., esp. on a passenger vessel. Important to you – a Purser takes responsibility for all money, transactions.

Port – the left hand side of the ship while facing forward (bow). Easy to remember since “port” and “left” each have four letters.

Ship – You always cruise on a “ship,” never a “boat”.

Starboard – the right side of the ship while facing forward (bow).

Stateroom – your cabin or berth

Stern – the very back of the ship

Tender – a boat for carrying passengers to or from a ship close to shore.

Windward – on the side of the ship from which the wind blows; toward the wind